How to Breed Kribensis Cichlids

With intriguing parental behaviors and stunning coloration, the kribensis cichlid is an excellent addition to any aquarium setup. They are easy to keep and breed as well.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• freshwater aquarium setup complete with rocks or a cave (plants give an additional benefit)
• aquarium heater & thermometer
• water chemistry test kit
• one male and one female Kribensis for every 20-30 gallons of water.

1. 
   Male Kribensis

   Introduce your Kribensis to an aquarium which has several caves and hiding places for the female to lay her eggs. A rock, certain shapes of driftwood, or even an overturned clay pot or coconut shell will do just fine.

2. Regulate the temperature at a steady 78 degrees F to encourage spawning.

3. 
   The brighter the color of your fish, the better the water quality is...

   If you desire an even mix of male and female fry, maintain the pH at a steady 7.0. Naturally acidic water will produce mostly males. Naturally alkaline water (most tap water) will produce mostly females. Test your water weekly or twice per month (minimum) for pH and keep it steady by doing regular water changes once per week (25% is optimal), and adding a pH buffer to reach your desired pH. In a system with a pressurized CO2 system your pH should be regulated already.

4. Depending on the age and compatibility of your Kribensis, you should have a batch of about 20-30 fry within three months (if you have younger fish) or even a few days (for more mature pairs)! Your fry will feed on sediment in the aquarium until they are one month old and will reach sexual maturity within 8-10 months.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep only one male and female. Introducing uneven numbers of Kribensis will result in the odd one being killed. They tend to form lifelong relationships, so if one of a pair dies, it is unlikely that a new mate will be compatible with the original. It is usually easier to buy a new pair.
• You can sell each batch of fry to the local fish store when they are about 1 inch long or more. (for example: for 15 Kribensis, if the wholesale value is $2.50 each = $37.50!)
• a good mix of flakes or pellets (one), and of frozen meaty or live foods (one) will provide optimal health for your breeding pair.
• Keeping large aggressive fish, or too few small community fish will cause problems, since Kribensis will fiercely defend their young against any potential threat.
• DO NOT disturb the nest, even after the young are born. The Kribensis can use the same nest their whole lives (and they live 10-15 years).

Resources

• The Krib -- a great resource!

[vtafreelance]

on 9/2/2009 Many are asking about this! They seem not knowing that fishes of same family have different types of species and characteristics! This article is very useful to answer how to breed cichlids of the Kribensis type.http://fishy-whisperer.com/CichlidFishSecretsReview.html

[2besure]

on 6/2/2008 Thanks for the article. I always had tropical fish as a child.